With the track and field competition underway in Paris, all eyes will be on the performances of U.S. Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and her Olympic debut with Team USA. The 24-year-old sprinter left no doubts that she was ready for the moment Friday morning, bolting out the block in full steam and finishing in first place after clocking 10.94 seconds in her opening heat of the women’s 100 meters.
After winning on Friday, she will compete in the semifinals on Saturday, with an opportunity to make the final round of the competition. Richardson did not compete in the 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics because she was suspended for testing positive for marijuana use in the U.S. track and field Olympic trials in 2021.
Since then, the former LSU standout has been on a redemption tour, becoming a U.S. national champion at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Richardson set a new record (10.65 seconds) on her way to winning a gold medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. She also captured gold for Team USA in the women’s 4x100 relay, registering a championship record of 41.03 seconds in the event.
But behind every world-class athlete is a great coach. And for Richardson, that title belongs to Dennis Mitchell, who has played an integral role in the sprinter’s success.
As Richardson continues her competition, here’s an account of the man who has helped elevate to Olympian status as well as take the track and field world by storm.
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Who is Sha’Carri Richardson’s coach?
Sha’Carri Richardson’s coach is former U.S. Olympic sprinter Dennis Mitchell. His coaching has helped Richardson become a household name and one of the biggest reasons why the former LSU standout is the fourth fastest American in track and field history. His guidance played a critical part in helping Richardson produce a dazzling performance at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, where she captured two gold medals in the 100 meters and the 4x100 relay and a bronze in the 200 meters. He was also instrumental in helping Mitchell eclipse the 100-meter world record, clocking a time of 10. 65 seconds.
Dennis Mitchell track career
Before Mitchell became Richardson’s coach, he was an elite runner at the University of Florida, where he competed from 1986 to 1989. At Florida, the Havelock, North Carolina, native notched Olympic status in 1988 when he captured fourth in the 100 meters at the Seoul Games. However, at that same Summer Games, he is often remembered for being denied a gold medal in the 4x100 relay because Lee McNeill completed a baton pass to Calvin Smith outside beyond the exchange zone, resulting in the Americans being disqualified.
Mitchell registered a new world record (37.50) in the 4x100 relay at the 1991 World Championships as well as personal best 9.91 in the 100 meters in Tokyo, Japan. In 1992, he captured gold in the 100 meters at the United States National Championships before winning the event in 1994 and 1996.
Some of his other track and field accolades include winning bronze in the 100 meters at the Barcelona Summer Games, capturing a silver medal in the 4x100 relay and a fourth-place finish in the 100 meters at the 1996 Summer Games.
Other athletes coached by Dennis Mitchell
In addition to Richardson, Mitchell has coached a plethora of talented athletes who have left an indelible mark on the track and field world through his club, Star Athletics, in Montverde, Florida. They include Kenny Bednarek, Aaron Brown, Justin Gatlin, Kaylin Whitney, Javianne Oliver and Twanisha Terry, to name a few.
